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20 - The Dead Return · Tarzan and the Golden Lion

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Speaker 1: The dead return that night, Esteban made his lonely camp
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Speaker 1: beside a jungle trail that wound through the dry wash
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Speaker 1: of an old river bed, along which a tiny rivulet
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Speaker 1: still trickled. According the Spaniard, the water which he craved,
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Speaker 1: the obsession which possessed him that he was in truth
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Speaker 1: Tarzan of the Apes imparted to him a false courage,
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Speaker 1: so that he could camp alone upon the ground without
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Speaker 1: recourse to artificial protection of any kind. And fortune had
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Speaker 1: favored him in this respect, and that it had sent
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Speaker 1: no prowling beasts of prey to find him upon those
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Speaker 1: occasions that he had dared too much. During the period
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Speaker 1: that Flora Hawks had been with him, he had built
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Speaker 1: shelters for her. But now that he had deserted her
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Speaker 1: and was again alone, he could not, in the role
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Speaker 1: that he had assumed, considered so effeminate an act as
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Speaker 1: the building of even a thorn boma for protection during
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Speaker 1: the darkness of the night. He did, however, build a fire,
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Speaker 1: for he had made a kill, and had not yet
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Speaker 1: reached a point of primitive savagery which permitted him even
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Speaker 1: to imagine that he enjoyed raw meat, having devoured what
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Speaker 1: meat he wanted, and filled himself at the little rivulet.
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Speaker 1: Esteban came back and squatted before his fire, where he
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Speaker 1: drew the pouch of diamonds from his lung cloth, and,
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Speaker 1: opening it, spilled a handful of the precious gems into
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Speaker 1: his palm, the flickering firelight playing upon them, since scintillant gleam,
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Speaker 1: shooting into the dark of the surrounding jungle night. As
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Speaker 1: the spaniard let a tiny stream of the sparkling stones
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Speaker 1: trickle from one hand to the other, and in the
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Speaker 1: pretty play of light, the Spaniards saw visions of the future, power, luxury,
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Speaker 1: beautiful women, all that great wealth might purchase. For a
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Speaker 1: man with half closed eyes, he dreamed of the idea
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Speaker 1: that he should search the world over to obtain the
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Speaker 1: dream woman for whom he had always searched, the dream
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Speaker 1: woman he had never found, the thick companion for such
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Speaker 1: as Esteba Miranda imagined himself to be. Presently through the
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Speaker 1: dark lashes that failed his narrowed lids, the Spaniard seemed
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Speaker 1: to see before him, in the flickering light of his
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Speaker 1: camp fire, a vague materialization of the figure of his dream,
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Speaker 1: a woman's figure clothed and flowing diaphanous white, which appeared
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Speaker 1: to hover just above him at the outer rim of
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Speaker 1: his firelight, at the summit of the ancient river bank.
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Speaker 1: It was strange how the vision persisted. Esteban closed his
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Speaker 1: eyes tightly, and then opened them ever so little, and there,
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Speaker 1: as it had been before he closed them, the vision remained.
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Speaker 1: And then he opened his eyes wide, and so the
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Speaker 1: figure of the woman in white floated above him. Estebam
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Speaker 1: Miranda went suddenly pale, Mother of God. He cried, it
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Speaker 1: is Flora. She is dead and has come back to
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Speaker 1: haunt me. With staring eyes. He slowly rose to his
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Speaker 1: feet to confront the apparition, when in soft and gentle tones,
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Speaker 1: it spoke, heart of my heart, it cried, it is
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Speaker 1: really you. Instantly Esteban realized that this was no disembodied spirit,
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Speaker 1: nor was it Flora. But who was it? Who was
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Speaker 1: this vision of beauty alone in the savage African wilderness.
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Speaker 1: Very slowly now it was descending the embankment and coming
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Speaker 1: toward him. Estebamba turned the diamonds to the pouch and
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Speaker 1: replaced it inside his long cloth. With outstretched arms. The
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Speaker 1: girl came toward him. My love, my love, she cried,
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Speaker 1: Do not tell me that you do not know me.
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Speaker 1: She was close enough now for the Spaniard to see
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Speaker 1: her rapidly rising and falling breasts and her lips trembling
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Speaker 1: with love and passion. A sudden wave of hot desire
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Speaker 1: swept over him, so with outstretched arms, he sprang forward
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Speaker 1: to meet her and crushed her to his breast. Tarzan,
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Speaker 1: following the spoor of the man and the woman, moved
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Speaker 1: in a leisurely manner along the jungle trail, for he
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Speaker 1: realized that no haste was essential to overtake these two.
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Speaker 1: Nor was he at all surprised when he came suddenly
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Speaker 1: upon the huddled figure of a woman lying in the
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Speaker 1: center of the pathway. He knelt beside her and laid
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Speaker 1: a hand upon her shoulder, and listening a startled scream. God,
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Speaker 1: she cried, this is the end. You are in no danger,
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Speaker 1: said the ape man. I will not harm you. She
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Speaker 1: turned her eyes and looked up at him. At first
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Speaker 1: she thought he was Esteban. You have come back to
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Speaker 1: save me, Esteban, she asked, Esteban. He exclaimed, I am
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Speaker 1: not Esteban. That is not my name. And then she
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Speaker 1: recognized him, Lord Greystoke, She cried, it is really you. Yes,
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Speaker 1: he said, and who are you. I am Flora Hawkes.
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Speaker 1: I was Lady Greystoke's maid. I remember you. He said,
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Speaker 1: What are you doing here? I am afraid to tell you,
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Speaker 1: she said, I am afraid of your anger. Tell me,
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Speaker 1: He commanded. You should know, Flora, that I do not
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Speaker 1: harm women. We came to get gold from the vaults
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Speaker 1: of Opar, She said, But that you know, I know
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Speaker 1: nothing else it. He replied, Do you mean that you
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Speaker 1: were with those Europeans who drugged me and left me
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Speaker 1: in their camp. Yes, she said. We got the gold,
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Speaker 1: but you came with your wazirri and took it from us.
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Speaker 1: I came with no waziri and took nothing from you,
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Speaker 1: said Tarzan, I do not understand you. She raised her
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Speaker 1: eyebrows in surprise, for she knew that Tarzan of the
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Speaker 1: Apes did not lie. We became separated, she said, after
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Speaker 1: our men turned against us. Esteban stole me from the others,
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Speaker 1: and then after a while Krasky found us. He was
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Speaker 1: the Russian. He came with a bag full of diamonds,
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Speaker 1: and then Esteban killed him and took the diamonds. It
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Speaker 1: was now Tarzan's turn to experience surprise. And Esteban is
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Speaker 1: the man who is with you? He asked, Yes, she said,
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Speaker 1: but he has deserted me. I could not walk farther
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Speaker 1: on my sore feet. He has gone and left me
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Speaker 1: here to die, and he has taken the diamonds with him.
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Speaker 1: We shall find him, said the ape man. Come, but
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Speaker 1: I cannot walk, said the girl. That is a small matter,
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Speaker 1: he said, and stooping, lifted her to his shoulder easily.
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Speaker 1: The ape man bore the exhausted girl along the trail.
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Speaker 1: It is he is not far to the water, he said,
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Speaker 1: and water is what you need. It will help to
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Speaker 1: revive you and give you strength, and perhaps I shall
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Speaker 1: be able to find food for you soon. Why are
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Speaker 1: you so good to me, asked the girl. You are
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Speaker 1: a woman. I could not leave you alone in the
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Speaker 1: jungle to die, no matter what you may have done,
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Speaker 1: replied the ape man, and Flora hawks could only sob
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Speaker 1: a broken plea for forgiveness for the wrong she had
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Speaker 1: done him. It grew quite dark, but still they moved
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Speaker 1: along the silent trail, until presently Tarzan caught in the
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Speaker 1: distance the reflection of firelight. I think we shall soon
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Speaker 1: find your friend, he whispered, make no noise. A moment later,
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Speaker 1: his keen ears caught the sound of voices. He halted
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Speaker 1: and lowered the girl to her feet. If you cannot follow,
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Speaker 1: he said, wait here. I do not wish him to escape.
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Speaker 1: I will return for you. If you can follow on slowly,
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Speaker 1: do so. And then he left her and made his
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Speaker 1: way cautiously forward toward the light and the voices. He
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Speaker 1: heard Flora hawks moving directly behind him. It was evident
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Speaker 1: that she could not bear the thought of being left
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Speaker 1: alone again in the dark jungle. Almost simultaneously, Tarzan heard
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Speaker 1: a low whine a few paces to his right. Jad baljah,
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Speaker 1: he whispered in a low voice. Heel and the great
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Speaker 1: black mane Lyon, crept close to him, and Flora Hawks,
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Speaker 1: stifling a scream, rushed to his side and grasped his
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Speaker 1: arms silence. He whispered, jablja will not harm you. An
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Speaker 1: instant later, the three came to the edge of the
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Speaker 1: ancient river bank, and through the tall grasses growing there,
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Speaker 1: looked down upon the camp beneath. Tarzan, to his consternation,
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Speaker 1: saw a counterpart of himself standing before a little fire.
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Speaker 1: While slowly approaching the man with outstretched arms, was a woman,
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Speaker 1: draped and flowing white. He heard her words, soft words
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Speaker 1: of love and endearment, and at the sound of the
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Speaker 1: voice and the sensepore that a vagrant wind carried suddenly
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Speaker 1: to his nostrils, a strange complex of emotion overwhelmed him. Happiness, despair, rage,
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Speaker 1: love and hate. He saw the man at the fire
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Speaker 1: step forward with open arms to take the woman to
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Speaker 1: his breast, and then Tarzan separated the grasses and stepped
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Speaker 1: to the very edge of the embankment, his voice shattering
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Speaker 1: the jungle with a single word, Jane. He cried, and
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Speaker 1: instantly the man and woman turned and looked up at him,
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Speaker 1: where his figure was dimly revealed in the light of
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Speaker 1: the camp fire. At sight of him, the man wield
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Speaker 1: and raced for the jungle on the opposite side of
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Speaker 1: the river. And then Tarzan leaped to the bottom of
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Speaker 1: the wash below and ran toward the woman. Jane. He cried,
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Speaker 1: it is you, It is you. The woman showed her bewilderment.
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Speaker 1: She looked first at the retreating figure of the man
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Speaker 1: she had been about to embrace, and then turned her
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Speaker 1: eyes toward Tarzan. She drew her fingers across her brow
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Speaker 1: and looked back toward Esteban, but Esteban was no longer
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Speaker 1: in sight. Then she took a faltering step toward the
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Speaker 1: ape man. My god, she cried, What does it mean?
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Speaker 1: Who are you? And if you are Tarzan, who was he?
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Speaker 1: I am Tarzan, Jane said the ape man. She looked
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Speaker 1: back and saw Flora hawks approaching. Yes, she said, you
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Speaker 1: are Tarzan. I saw you when you ran off into
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Speaker 1: the jungle with Flora hawks. I cannot understand, John. I
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Speaker 1: could not believe that you, even if you had suffered
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Speaker 1: an accident to your head, could have done such a thing.
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Speaker 1: I run off into the jungle with Flora hawks, he asked,
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Speaker 1: in unfeigned surprise. I saw you, said Jane. The ape
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Speaker 1: man turned toward Flora. I do not understand it, he said.
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Speaker 1: It was Esteban who ran off into the jungle with me,
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Speaker 1: Lady Greystoak, said the girl. It was Esteban who was
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Speaker 1: about to deceive you again. This is indeed, Lord Greystoak.
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Speaker 1: The other was an impostor who only just deserted me
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Speaker 1: and left me to die in the jungle. Had not
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Speaker 1: Lord Greystoake come. When he did, I should be dead
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Speaker 1: by now. Lady Greystoke took a faltering step toward her husband, Ah, John,
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Speaker 1: she said, I knew it could not have been you,
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Speaker 1: my heart told me, But my eyes deceived me quick.
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Speaker 1: She cried that impostor must be captured. Hurry John, before
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Speaker 1: he escapes. Let him go, said the ape man. As
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Speaker 1: much as I want him, as much as I want
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Speaker 1: that which he has stolen from me, I will not
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Speaker 1: leave you alone again in the jungle, Jane, even to
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Speaker 1: catch him. But jod Baljaw, she cried, What of him? Ah,
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Speaker 1: cried the ape Man, I had forgotten, And turning to
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Speaker 1: the lion, he pointed toward the direction that the Spaniard
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Speaker 1: had escaped. Fetch him, jod Baljaw, he cried, and with
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Speaker 1: a bound, the tawny beast was off upon the spoor
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Speaker 1: of his quarry. He will kill him, asked Flora Hawk, shuddering,
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Speaker 1: and yet at heart she was glad of the just
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Speaker 1: fate that was overtaking this. No, he will not kill him,
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Speaker 1: said Tarzan of the apes. He may maul him a bit,
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Speaker 1: but he will bring him back alive, if it is possible.
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Speaker 1: And then, as though the fate of the fugitive was
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Speaker 1: already forgotten. He turned toward his mate Jane. He said,
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Speaker 1: Oosula told me that you were dead. He said that
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Speaker 1: they found your burned body in the Arab village and
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Speaker 1: that they had buried it there. How is it then
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Speaker 1: that you are here, alive and unharmed. I have been
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Speaker 1: searching the jungles for Luvini to avenge your death. Perhaps
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Speaker 1: it is well that I did not find him. You
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Speaker 1: would never have found him, replied Jane Clayton. But I
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Speaker 1: cannot understand why Usula should have told you that he
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Speaker 1: had found my body and buried it. Some prisoners that
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Speaker 1: he took, replied Tarzan told him that Luvini had taken you,
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Speaker 1: bound hand and foot into one of the Arab huts
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Speaker 1: near the village gateway, and that there he had further
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Speaker 1: secured you to a stake driven into the floor of
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Speaker 1: the hut. After the village had been destroyed by fire,
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Speaker 1: Usula and the other wazir returned to search for you
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Speaker 1: with some of the prisoners they had taken, who pointed
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Speaker 1: out the location of the hut where the charred remains
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Speaker 1: of a human body were found beside a burned steak
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Speaker 1: to which it had apparently been tied, Ah, exclaimed the girl.
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Speaker 1: I see, Luvigni did buy me hand and foot and
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Speaker 1: tied into the stake. But later he came back into
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Speaker 1: the hut and removed the bonds. He attempted to attack me.
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Speaker 1: How long we fought I do not know, But so
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Speaker 1: engrocer were we in our struggle that neither one of
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Speaker 1: us was aware of the burning of the village about us.
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Speaker 1: As I persistently fought him off, I caught a glimpse
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Speaker 1: of a knife in his belt, and then I let
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Speaker 1: him seize me. And as his arms encircled me, I
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Speaker 1: grasped the knife, and, drawing it from its sheath, plunged
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Speaker 1: it into his back below his left shoulder. That was
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Speaker 1: the end. Lvigni sank lifeless to the floor of the hut.
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Speaker 1: Almost simultaneously, the rear and roof of the structure burst
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Speaker 1: into flames. I was almost naked, for he had torn
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Speaker 1: nearly all my clothing from me in our struggles. Hanging
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Speaker 1: upon the wall of the hut was this white, burnous,
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Speaker 1: the property doubtless of one of the murdered a Rabs.
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Speaker 1: I seized it, and, throwing it about me ran into
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Speaker 1: the village street. The huts were now all aflame, and
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Speaker 1: the last of the natives was disappearing through the gateway.
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Speaker 1: To my right was a section of palisade that had
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Speaker 1: not yet been attacked by the flames. To escape into
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Speaker 1: the jungle by the gateway would have meant running into
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Speaker 1: the arms of my enemies, and so somehow I managed
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Speaker 1: to scare the palisade and drop into the jungle unseen
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Speaker 1: by any I have had considerable difficulty eluding the various
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Speaker 1: bands of blacks who escaped the village. A part of
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Speaker 1: the time I have been hunting for the Waziri, and
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Speaker 1: the balance I have had to remain in hiding. I
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Speaker 1: was resting in the crotch of a tree about half
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Speaker 1: a mile from here when I saw the light of
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Speaker 1: this man's campfire, and when I came to investigate, I
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Speaker 1: was almost stunned by joy to discover that I had,
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Speaker 1: as I imagined, stumbled upon my Tarzan. It was Luvini's body, then,
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Speaker 1: and not yours that they buried, said Tarzan. Yes, said Jane.
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Speaker 1: And it was this man who just escaped, whom I
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Speaker 1: saw run off into the jungle with Flora, and not you,
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Speaker 1: as I believed. Flora Hawks looked up suddenly, and it
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Speaker 1: must have been Esteban who came with the Wazii and
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Speaker 1: stole the gold from us. He fooled our men, and
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Speaker 1: he must have fooled the Waziri too. He might have
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Speaker 1: fooled anyone if he could deceive me, said Jane Clayton.
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Speaker 1: I should have discovered the deception in a few minutes,
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Speaker 1: I have no doubt. But in the flickering light of
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Speaker 1: the camp fire, and influenced as I was by the
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Speaker 1: great joy of seeing Lord greystoke again, I believed quickly
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Speaker 1: that which I wanted to believe. The ape Man ran
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Speaker 1: his fingers through his thick shock of hair and a
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Speaker 1: characteristic gesture of metaitabe. I cannot understand how he fooled
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Speaker 1: Usula in broad daylight, he said, with a shake of
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Speaker 1: his head. I can, said Jane. He told him that
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Speaker 1: he had suffered an injury to his head which had
12:09
Speaker 1: caused him to lose his memory, partially, an explanation which
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Speaker 1: accounted for many lapses in the man's interpretation of your personality.
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Speaker 1: He was a clever devil, commented the ape Man. He
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Speaker 1: was a devil, all right, said Flora. It was more
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Speaker 1: than an hour later that the grasses at the river
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Speaker 1: bank suddenly parted, and job Baljaw emerged silently into their presence.
12:28
Speaker 1: Grasped in his jaws was a torn, bloody leopard skin,
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Speaker 1: which he brought and laid at the feet of his master.
12:33
Speaker 1: The ape man picked the thing up and examined it,
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Speaker 1: and then he scowled. I believe jod Baljah killed him,
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Speaker 1: after all, he said. He probably resisted, said Jane Clayton,
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Speaker 1: in which event job Baljah could do nothing else in
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Speaker 1: self defense but slay him. Do you suppose he ate him?
12:47
Speaker 1: Cried Flora, hawks drawing fearfully away from the beast. No,
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Speaker 1: said Tarzan, he has not had time. In the morning,
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Speaker 1: we will follow the spoor and find his body. I
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Speaker 1: should like to have the diamonds again. And then he
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Speaker 1: told Jane the strange story connected with his own acquisition
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Speaker 1: of the great wealth represented by the little bag of stones.
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Speaker 1: The following morning they set out in search of Estabon's corpse.
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Speaker 1: The trail led through dense brush and thorns to the
13:08
Speaker 1: edge of the river farther downstream, and there it disappeared.
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Speaker 1: And though the ape man searched, both sides of the
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Speaker 1: river for a couple of miles above and below the
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Speaker 1: point at which he had lost the spore, he found
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Speaker 1: no further sign of the Spaniard. There was blood along
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Speaker 1: the tracks that Estebon had made, and blood upon the
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Speaker 1: grasses at the river's brim. At last, the ape man
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Speaker 1: returned to the two women. That is the end of
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Speaker 1: the man who would be Tarzan, he said. Do you
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Speaker 1: think he is dead, asked Jane. Yes, I am sure
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Speaker 1: of it, said the ape man. From the blood, I
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Speaker 1: imagine that jab Baljaw mauled him, but that he managed
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Speaker 1: to break away and get into the river. The fact
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Speaker 1: that I can find no indication of his having reached
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Speaker 1: the bank within a reasonable distance of this spot leads
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Speaker 1: me to believe that he has been devoured by crocodiles. Again,
13:47
Speaker 1: Flora Hawk shuddered. He was a wicked man, she said,
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Speaker 1: But I would not wish even the wickedest such a
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Speaker 1: fate as that. The ape man shrugged. He brought it
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Speaker 1: upon himself, and doubtless the world is better off without him.
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Speaker 1: It is my fault, say Flora. It was my wickedness
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Speaker 1: that brought him and the others here. I told them
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Speaker 1: of what I had heard of the gold and the
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Speaker 1: treasure vaults of Opar. It was my idea to come
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Speaker 1: here and steal it, and to find a man who
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Speaker 1: could impersonate Lord Greystoke. Because of my wickedness, many men
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Speaker 1: have died, and you, Lord Greystoake, and your lady have
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Speaker 1: almost met your death. I do not dare to ask
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Speaker 1: for forgiveness. Jane Clayton put her arm about the girl's shoulder.
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Speaker 1: Avarice has been the cause of many crimes since the
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Speaker 1: world began, she said. And when crime is invoked in
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Speaker 1: its aid, it assumes its most repulsive aspect and brings
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Speaker 1: most often its own punishment. As you, Flora, may well
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Speaker 1: testify for my part. I forgive you. I imagine that
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Speaker 1: you have learned your lesson. You have paid a heavy
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Speaker 1: price for your folly, said the ape man. You have
14:41
Speaker 1: been punished enough. We will take you to your friends,
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Speaker 1: who are on their way to the coast under escort
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Speaker 1: of a friendly tribe. They cannot be far distant, for
14:49
Speaker 1: from the condition of the men when I saw them,
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Speaker 1: long marches are beyond their physical powers. The girl dropped
14:54
Speaker 1: her knees at his feet. How can I thank you
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Speaker 1: for your kindness, she said, But I would rather remain
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Speaker 1: here in Africa with you and Lady Greystoke, and work
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Speaker 1: for you and show by my loyalty that I can
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Speaker 1: redeem the wrong I did you. Tarzan glanced at his
15:07
Speaker 1: wife questioningly, and Jane Clayton signified her assent to the
15:10
Speaker 1: girl's request. Very well, then, said the ape man. You
15:13
Speaker 1: may remain with us. Flora. You will never regret it,
15:16
Speaker 1: said the girl. I will work my fingers off for you.
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Speaker 1: The three and jad Baljah had been three days upon
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Speaker 1: the march toward home when Tarzan, who was in the lead,
15:25
Speaker 1: paused and raising his head, sniffed the jungle air. Then
15:28
Speaker 1: he turned to them with a smile. My Wazir a disobedient,
15:32
Speaker 1: he said, I sent them home, and yet here they
15:34
Speaker 1: are coming toward us, directly away from home. A few
15:37
Speaker 1: minutes later they met the van of the Waziri, and
15:39
Speaker 1: great was the rejoicing of the blacks when they found
15:41
Speaker 1: both their master and mistress alive and unscathed. And now
15:44
Speaker 1: that we have found you, said Tarzan, after the greetings
15:47
Speaker 1: were over and innumerable questions had been asked, and answered,
15:50
Speaker 1: tell me what you did with the gold that you
15:51
Speaker 1: took from the camp of the Europeans. We hid it
15:54
Speaker 1: Olblana where you told us to hide it, replied Usla.
15:57
Speaker 1: I was not with you, Osla, said the ape man.
16:00
Speaker 1: It was another who deceived lady Greystoke, even as he
16:02
Speaker 1: deceived you, a bad man who impersonated Tarzan of the
16:05
Speaker 1: Apes so cleverly that it is no wonder that you
16:07
Speaker 1: were imposed upon. Then it was not you who told
16:10
Speaker 1: us that your head had been injured and that you
16:12
Speaker 1: could not remember the language of the Waziri, demanded Usula.
16:16
Speaker 1: It was not, I, said Tarzan, for my head has
16:18
Speaker 1: not been injured, and I remember well the language of
16:20
Speaker 1: my children, ah, cried Usula. Then it was not our
16:24
Speaker 1: big Buana who ran from Bhuto the Rhinoceros. Tarzan laughed.
16:28
Speaker 1: Did the other run from Bhuto that he did, cried Usula.
16:32
Speaker 1: He ran in great terror. I do not know that
16:35
Speaker 1: I blame him, said Tarzan, for Bhuto is no pleasant playfellow.
16:39
Speaker 1: But our big Buana would not run from him, said
16:41
Speaker 1: Usula proudly, even if another. Then I hid the gold.
16:45
Speaker 1: It was you who dug the hole lead me to
16:47
Speaker 1: the spot. Then, Usula, the Waziri constructed rude yet comfortable
16:50
Speaker 1: letters for the two white women, though Jane Clayton laughed
16:53
Speaker 1: at the idea that it was necessary that she be carried,
16:55
Speaker 1: and insisted upon walking beside her bears more often than
16:58
Speaker 1: she rode Flora hawks. Weak and exhausted as she was,
17:02
Speaker 1: could not have proceeded far without being carried, and was
17:04
Speaker 1: glad of the presence of the Broni Waziri, who bore
17:06
Speaker 1: her along the jungle trail so easily. It was a
17:09
Speaker 1: happy company that marched in buoyant spirits towards the spot
17:12
Speaker 1: where the Waziri had cached the gold for Esteban. The
17:14
Speaker 1: blacks were overflowing with good nature because they had found
17:17
Speaker 1: their master and their mistress, while the relief and joy
17:19
Speaker 1: of Tarzan and Jane were too deep for expression. When
17:22
Speaker 1: at last they came to the place beside the river
17:24
Speaker 1: where they had buried the gold, the Waziri, singing and laughing,
17:27
Speaker 1: commenced to dig for the treasure. But presently their singing ceased,
17:30
Speaker 1: and their laughter was replaced by expressions of puzzled concern.
17:33
Speaker 1: For a while, Tarzan watched them in silence, and then
17:36
Speaker 1: a slow smile overspread his countenance. You must have buried
17:39
Speaker 1: it deep, Usla, he said. The black scratched his head. No,
17:43
Speaker 1: not so deep as this, Buana, he cried, I cannot
17:46
Speaker 1: understand it. We should have found the gold before this.
17:49
Speaker 1: Are you sure you are looking in the right place,
17:51
Speaker 1: asked Tarzan. This is the exact spot, Buana, the black
17:55
Speaker 1: assured him. But the gold is not here. Someone has
17:58
Speaker 1: removed it since we buried it. The spaniard again, commented Tarzan.
18:02
Speaker 1: He was a slick customer. But he could not have
18:05
Speaker 1: taken it alone, said Usla. There were many ingots of it. No,
18:09
Speaker 1: said Tarzan, he could not, And yet it is not here.
18:13
Speaker 1: The Wazir and Tarzan searched carefully about the spot where
18:15
Speaker 1: the gold had been buried. But so clever had been
18:17
Speaker 1: the wood craft of Wawaza that he had obliterated even
18:20
Speaker 1: from the keen senses of the ape Man, every vestige
18:22
Speaker 1: of the spore that he and the Spaniard had made
18:24
Speaker 1: in carrying the gold from the old hiding place to
18:26
Speaker 1: the new. It is gone, said the ape Man. But
18:29
Speaker 1: I shall see that it does not get out of Africa.
18:31
Speaker 1: And he despatched runners in various directions to notify the
18:34
Speaker 1: chiefs of the friendly tribes surrounding his domain. To watch
18:37
Speaker 1: carefully every Safari crossing their territory, and to let none
18:40
Speaker 1: pass who carried gold. That will stop them, he said.
18:43
Speaker 1: After the runners had departed that night, as they made
18:46
Speaker 1: their camp upon the trail toward home, the three whites
18:48
Speaker 1: were seated about a small fire, with jad Balja lying
18:51
Speaker 1: just behind the ape man, who was examining the leopard
18:53
Speaker 1: skin that the Golden Lion had retrieved in his pursuit
18:56
Speaker 1: of the Spaniard. When Tarzan turned toward his wife, You
18:59
Speaker 1: were right, Jane, he said, The treasure vaults of Oparh
19:01
Speaker 1: are not for me this time. I have lost not
19:04
Speaker 1: only the gold, but a fabulous fortune and diamonds as well.
19:07
Speaker 1: Besides risking the greatest of all treasures yourself. Let the
19:10
Speaker 1: gold and diamonds go, John, she said, We have one another,
19:14
Speaker 1: and korak and a bloody leopard skin he supplemented with
19:18
Speaker 1: a mystery map painted upon it in blood. Jab Baldjas
19:21
Speaker 1: sniffed the hide and licked his chops in anticipation or retrospection,
19:25
Speaker 1: which end of chapter